ECHA Publishes Annual PIC Report – EU States Export More Restricted Chemicals

More prohibited and restricted chemicals were exported last year than in the previous year. That’s the finding of the current Report on Exports and Imports in 2020 of Chemicals Listed in Annex I to the Prior Informed Consent (PIC) Regulation, which the ECHA published in December.  

According to the report, the quantity of exported chemicals requiring authorization increased by 8%. The volume of exported chemicals thus totaled about 667,000 tons and included 102 different substances.  

Ethylene dichloride is particularly demanded abroad. Its export volume climbed by almost 50% to 262,000 tons. It serves as a solvent and raw material for the manufacture of polyvinylchloride (PVC). Additional chemicals exported in large quantities include chlorate, a disinfectant, and creosote, a wood preservative.  

While the number of exports climbed, the quantity of imported PIC chemicals decreased. Benzol is the chemical imported most often, with about 325,000 tons, followed by ethylene dichloride and lead compounds.  

The background of the report published annually by the ECHA is the PIC Regulation (EU No. 649/2012 of July 4, 2012). It regulated the import and export of chemicals that are prohibited or restricted in the EU. German corporations that want to export such chemicals must notify the Federal Office for Chemicals of the Federal Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (BAuA) in advance. The agencies inspect the notifications and redirect them to the ECHA. The ECHA administers a database used to process the entire procedure electronically. 

For more information and links related to the PIC Regulation, see our blog archive under the search term PIC Regulation. Please contact us at  sales@kft.de  if you have any questions.